Bangladesh Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury met Uzbekistan Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev in Samarkand on the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting, according to the Bangladesh Embassy in Uzbekistan.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Uzbekistan Mohammad Monirul Islam was present at the meeting, the embassy said on Wednesday (May 6).
The Finance Minister is leading the Bangladesh delegation to the Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting held in Samarkand from May 3 to 6.
During the meeting, he thanked the Government of Uzbekistan and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for congratulating Bangladesh’s leadership following the formation of the new government.
He highlighted long-standing historical, cultural and religious ties between the two countries and stressed the need to expand cooperation in trade, connectivity, employment, tourism, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
The Finance Minister requested Uzbekistan to consider restoring direct air connectivity between the two countries, including the resumption of Uzbekistan Airways flights on the Dhaka–Tashkent route.
He also urged the opening of an Uzbek diplomatic mission in Bangladesh to strengthen bilateral engagement.
In addition, he called for improved market access for Bangladeshi exports, including ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals and jute products, and sought easier visa facilities for Bangladeshi businesspeople and tourists.
Emphasising high-level engagement, he invited the President of Uzbekistan to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.
Deputy Prime Minister Khodjaev said Uzbekistan was ready to deepen economic cooperation with Bangladesh and stressed the need to quickly finalise pending agreements in trade, agriculture and tourism.
He praised Bangladesh’s progress in textiles and pharmaceuticals and said a business delegation would be sent soon to explore investment opportunities.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations in the coming days.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
